Northern Arizona University
Service and Assistance Animal Guidelines
I.
Contact Information Regarding Service Animals Requests
Concerns and questions regarding service animals, or service animals in training, should be
directed to the Equity and Access Office (EAO). The EAO Director serves as the university
ADA/504 compliance officer. Northern Arizona University Equity and Access Office, Old Main
(Bldg 10), P O Box 4083, Flagstaff AZ 86011, Phone: (928) 523-3312, Fax: (928) 523- 9977,
TDD: (928) 523-1006, Email: equityandaccess@nau.edu.
Students registered with Disability Resources may instead direct requests, concerns and
questions to Disability Resources, Health and Learning Center (Bldg 25), P O Box 5633,
Flagstaff AZ 86011, Phone: (928) 523-8773, Fax: (928) 523-8747, Email: DR@nau.edu.
II.
Service Animals Permitted on Campus
Northern Arizona University is committed to compliance with state and federal laws regarding
individuals with disabilities. Individuals with disabilities may be accompanied by their service
animals on all Northern Arizona University campuses where members of the public or
participants in services, programs or activities are allowed to go. By law, a service animal means
any dog that is individually trained (or in training by a trainer or individual with a disability) to
do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability, including a physical,
sensory, psychiatric, intellectual, or other mental disability. Other species of animals, whether
wild or domestic, trained or untrained, are not service animals. In some cases, the university may
permit miniature horses on campus on a case-by-case basis, consistent with applicable law.
Federal law does not require the individual to provide documentation that an animal has been
trained as a service animal. Federal law does not require that the animal wear any type of vest or
badge indicating that it is a service animal. Federal law does not prohibit any particular breed of
dog from being a service animal. Where it is not readily apparent that an animal is a service
animal, the university may ask if the animal is required because of a disability, as well as what
work or task the animal has been trained to perform. The work or tasks performed by a service
animal must be directly related to the individual's disability. Examples of such tasks include, but
are not limited to: assisting an individual with low vision with navigation; alerting individuals
who are hard of hearing to the presence of people or objects; pulling a person's wheelchair;
providing assistance with stability or balance to an individual with a mobility disability; or
sensing an anxiety attack and taking a specific action to help avoid the attack or lessen its
impact.
III.
Exceptions
The university may exclude a service animal from campus if its behavior poses a direct threat to
the health or safety of others or when its presence fundamentally alters the nature of a program
or activity. Furthermore, the university may ask an individual with a disability to remove a
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Rev. 11/2015
service animal from campus if the animal is out of control and the individual does not take
effective action to control it; or if the animal is not housebroken.
IV.
Responsibilities of Individuals with Service Animals
The university is not responsible for the care or supervision of a service animal. Individuals with
disabilities are responsible for the control of their service animals at all times and must comply
with all applicable laws and regulations, including vaccination, licensure, animal health and
leash laws. A service animal shall be restrained with a harness, leash, or other tether, unless an
individual’s disability precludes the use of a restraint or if the restraint would interfere with the
service animal's safe, effective performance of work or tasks. If a service animal is not tethered,
it must be otherwise under the individual’s control, whether by voice control, signals, or other
effective means. Individuals are responsible for ensuring the immediate clean-up and proper
disposal of all animal waste. Although the university may not charge an individual with a
disability a service animal surcharge, it may impose charges for damages caused by a service
animal in the same manner the university imposes charges for damages caused by pets.
V.
Disputes/Complaints Regarding Service Animals
Anyone dissatisfied with the accommodation process has the following internal remedies:
Employees, students and members of the public/visitors may file a complaint pursuant to the
Safe Working and Learning Environment Policy at nau.edu/equityandaccess/. Students registered
with Disability Resources may also file a complaint pursuant to the Disability Resources
Complaint Process at
nau.edu/uploadedFiles/Administrative/EMSA_Sites/Health_Services/Folder_Templates/_Forms/
complaint-process.pdf.
VI.
Assistance Animals (i.e. Emotional Support Animals)
Students seeking permission to have an assistance animal, that is not also a service animal, in
their residence are required to register with Disability Resources and follow the standard
accommodation process. Contact Disability Resources for more information. Disability
Resources, Health and Learning Center (Bldg 25), P O Box 5633, Flagstaff AZ 86011, Phone:
(928) 523-8773, Fax: (928) 523-8747, Email: DR@nau.edu.
2/2012
Rev. 11/2015